Incubator.



No. 678.882. Patented My 23, I901.

G. L. HORRALL.

INCUBATOR.

(Application filed Nov. 16, 1900.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets8heet l.

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y m 82f No. 678,882. Patented July 23, Hill. a. L. HORRALLK INCUBATOR.

(Application filed Nov. 15, 1900.) 4 (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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PATENT EErcE.

GEORGE LEI/VIS IIORRALL, OF OLNEY, ILLINOIS.

INCUBATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent N 0. 678,882, dated July 23, 1901..

Application fil d November 15, 1900. Serial No. 36,591. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE LEWIS HOR- RALL, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Olney, in the county of Richland and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Incubators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in incubators, and has for its object to provide a device of this kind of a simple and inexpensive nature and of a compact and durable construction having improved features whereby its operation is made more uniform and satisfactory and less careful attention is required for successful results.

The invention consists in certain novel featnres of the construction, combination, and arrangement of the several parts of the improved incubator whereby certain important advantages are attained and the device is made simpler, cheaper, and otherwise better adapted and more convenient for use, all as will be hereinafter fully set forth.

The novel features of the invention will be carefully defined in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which serve to illustrate the invention, Figure 1 is a front elevation of an incubator embodying my improvements, and Fig. 2 is an end view of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan View of the incubator, one corner of the top being broken away to expose the heating means below. Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view taken through the incubator in the plane indicated by line a a in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a partial sectionalview taken vertically through one end of the incubator in the plane indicated by line 0 c in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional detail view showing the heating means detached. Fig. 6 is aview showing the rear side of the boilerjacket detached. Fig. 7 is a sectional view taken vertically through the incubator in the plane indicated by the line b bin Fig. 3. Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional elevation showing certain features of construction of the heat-regulating devices. Fig. 9 is a plan view of the thermostat detached. Fig. 10 is an enlarged perspective view showing the end portion of one of the rotatable slats or rollers of the egg tray or chamber. Fig.

11 is an enlarged partial View showing the secured to the outer wall by means of suit- Y ably-arranged strips 4 4, which serve to hold the lining spaced away from said outer wall,

as shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 7, to produce in each end and in the back of the casing 1 a space or chamber 5, adapted to be packed with mineral wool or other non-conducting substance, so as to prevent as much as possible radiation of heat from the walls of the casing. The casing is also provided in its front wall with an opening for the insertion and removal of the egg and brooding trays, said opening being closed by a glazed door 6, hinged at its lower edge and provided with a suitable fastening.

7 indicates the bottom of the casing, and 8 indicates a lining or false bottom arranged above the bottom 7, being secured thereto by means of suitably-arranged strips or cleats 9, extended lengthwise of the casing, so as to produce at the lower part of the casing, between said parts 8 and 7, a space or chamber 11,extended lengthwise along the central part of the casing. To prevent radiation of heat from the bottom of the casing, I provide sheets of pasteboard or equivalent material secured upon the false bottom 8 and bottom 7, as shown at 10 in Figs. 5 and 7-.

13 indicates the hatching-chamber, formed in the casing 1 above the false bottom 8 and communicating with the space or chamber 11 through one or more openings 12 in said false bottom, the air being permitted to pass freely through such opening or openings from the said air-chamber 11 into the hatching-chamber 13 for warming the latter. The door 6 afiords access at the front of easing 1 to said hatching-chamber 13. At the upper part of the hatching-chamber cleats let are secured to the end walls of the casing, as shown in Figs. .5 and 7, and these cleats serve to support a roof or diaphragm 16, formed of a sheet of felt or other suitable material stretched upon a rectangular open frame 15. The

frame 15 is of a size to snugly fit inside the casing, and when the top plate of the casing is removed said frame,with the felt diaphragm 16 carried on it, may be removed from the casing.

19 indicates the cover-plate of the casing, having edges which overhang slightly the walls of the casing 1, so as to insure a close contact of the parts, and 18 indicates a felt or other packing below said cover and supported on a sheet 17 of pasteboard or the like, said sheet 17 being separated from the diaphragm' 16 by a space 20, extended across the entire interior of easing 1.

21 indicates the lower or brooding tray, arranged for sliding movement in the lower part of the hatching-chamber 13, being supported on cleats 23 at the ends of said chamber, as shown in Figs. 5 and 7, and 22 indicates the egg tray or chamber, arranged for sliding movement in the upper part of the chamber 13 above the brooding-tray, being supported at its ends upon cleats 24 at the ends of the chamber 13. The front walls of the trays 21 and 22 are glazed, so that their contents may be inspected at the glazed door 6 at the front of the casing, and said trays 'have their front walls fitted close upon each other and against the walls of said chamber 13. The lower or brooding tray 21 has a removable bottom formed of a rectangular frame 25, over the lower side of which is stretched a sheet 27 of felt or other suitable material, while a sheet 26 of coarse. fabricsuch as canvas, for example-is stretched across the top side of said frame, as shown in Figs. 4, 5, and 7. The said removable bottom is supported in the walls of the tray by means of cleats 29 at the front end of the tray and by means of triangular metal clips 28, secured to the under side of the rear corners of the tray, as shown in Figs. 11.

The bottom of the egg-tray 22 is formed of a series of movable slats or rollers 30, extended from front to rear of said tray. These roll ers 30 have pintles 31 set in the back wall of the tray, and at the front of the tray said rollers are provided with shafts 32, which extend through the front wall of the tray 22 and have their outer ends bent, as shown in Figs. 1, 4, 7, and 10, to form cranks which are passed through a wood slat or connection 33, extended along the front of the tray. The extremities of said cranks are provided with nuts or enlargements 34 to prevent them from being withdrawn from said connection 33. The rollers 30 are also provided with metal ferrules 35 at their front ends for protection against cracking of the rollers or loosening of their shafts. By means of these rollers and their cranked ends when it is desired to turn the eggs it is only necessary to open the door 6 and turn the cranked ends of shafts 32 once around by means of the connection 33, which causes said cranks to move in unison, by which means all of the eggs which rest on ,the rollers 30 in the tray 22 will be turned completely over without jarring or shaking the eggs or lowering thetemperature of the hatching-chamber.

Air is admitted to the lower air-chamber 11 in the bottom of the casing by way of an opening 36 at one end thereof, said opening, as shown in Fig. 2, being provided with a valve 37, sliding in guides 38 and by means of which the entry of air may be regulated. at will. The upper air-chamber 20 is also provided with an air-outlet flue formed of a metal sleeve or tube 39, inserted through the cover-plate 19, packing 18, and sheet 17. For heating the air in the lower chamber 11 a heating-coil 40 is provided, and a similar coil 41 is provided in the upper air-chamber 20, said coils being supplied with hot water from a boiler 42, having at its lower part a connection 43 with the lower coil 40 and at its upper part a connection 44 with the upper coil 41. A connection 48 extends between the two coils 41 and 40 at the end of the casing. The boiler 42 is provided with a cook 45, at which water may be Withdrawn, and to supply said boiler with sufficient water to insure free circulation of water through the coils I provide a tank or reservoir 46, elevated above the upper coil 41 and also above the boiler, with the lower part of which it communicates byway of a connection 47. The boiler 42 has an axial flue 50, made flared or tapered toward its lower part, and above said fine is provided a dome 51, with which the pipe 44, leading to the coils 41 and 40, connects, the domeitself being connected by means of pipes 52 with the boiler, the pipes 52 extending across the space between the dome and boiler. Said space affords a passage in which the gases from fine may expand laterally. Over the upper part of the boiler and its dome is arranged a jacket 54 in cylindrical form, closed at top but open at bottom, so as to be capable of being set down over the boiler or removed therefrom to enable the soot to be cleaned from the passages. The connection 44 of the boiler is .bent laterally, as shown in Fig. 6, and at its side next to casing 1 the jacket has a long narrow opening 49 extended from its lower edge to near its upper part and adapted to receive said connection when the jacket is in place. The lower part of said opening 49 is closed by a hinged door 55 upon the jacket. By means of the jacket the hot gases are caused to pass downward around the sides of the boiler and escape at the open lower end of the jacket in such a way as to assist materially in maintaining the heat of the boiler.

59 indicates the heater, in the form of a IIO lamp, as herein shown, and supported on a side bent inward to engage an outward bend on the lower edge of the chimney 62, and at the other side of the gallery is a screw 61, by means of which the chimney is held to the gallery.

To regulate the escape of air at the outlet 39 from air-chamber 20, I provide a disk or valve 64, concaved on its under side and arranged to fit over said outlet, as shown in Figs. 3 and 7. Said disk or valve is carried on a wire 65, connected to one end of a lever 66, pivoted between screws 67 on a bearing 68, secured to the cover 19, and having its opposite end connected by an upwardly-extended rod 69 with a lever 70, also pivoted between screws 71 in arms 72, extended up from a frame 73, secured near the central part of said cover 19. By this construction it will be seen that when the lever is moved its movement will be imparted to lever 66 to elevate the valve 64 or lower it down on the upper end of outlet 39 to regulate the escape of air from .the interior of the casing, and in order to actuate the lever 70 I provide a thermostat arranged in the hatching-chamber and operatively connected to said lever. A pea or weight screws on the threaded longer end 79 of lever 70, so as to normally hold the valve 64 raised. The thermostat, as shown in Figs. 7, 8, and 9, comprises a rectangular open frame 74, made from flat metal bent into form and having a tube or sleeve 75 screwed into its central upper part and passed through the diaphragm 16 and through the top ofthe casing and intervening packing and having its upper end screwed into the frame 73, so that the thermostat is supported by said frame in the hatching-chamber13. The tube 75 forms a duct or passage through which is extended a rod or wire 78, the upper end of which has connection with the lever 70, while the lower end of said rod is held in a socket 77 at the central part of a circular disk-like shell 76, which forms the body of the thermostat and has at its under side a central connection with the frame 74. The shell 76 is partly filled with sulfuric ether or other liquid, and its lower part is made corrugated or ribbed, as seen at 76 in Fig. 8,110 permit it to freely expand when heated. The expansion of the shell under heat in the hatching-chamber serves to elevate rod 78, and thereby tilt the lever 70 to raise valve 64 and permit a more free ventilation of the hatching-chamber. The movement of lever 70 from the thermostat is also employed for regulating the circulation of hot water through the coils 40 and 41, for which purpose a valve-casing 84 is inserted in connection 44, as seen in Fig. 8. In casing 84 screws the lower end 83 of a tube 82, open at its upper end and having in its lower part a passage 86, adapted for the flow of water from casing 84. A valve controls the flow of water through casing 84 into coil 41, this valve being held on a chain 81, which passes up through tube 82 and is coupled to lever 70, so that when lever 70 is moved valve 85 is also moved to and from its seat to cut ofi or permit water to flow through 1 coils 41 and 40. When the valve is seated, the water from connection 44 is diverted from coil 41 and flows up through the passage 86 into the interior of tube 82. At the upper part of said tube 82 a pipe 87 afiords connection with the upper end of tank 46, so that when the water in the tube rises up to the level of said pipe 87 it flows into the tank and is prevented from overflowing.

From the above description it will be seen that the improved incubator is of an extremely simple and inexpensive construction and is especially well adapted for use, since it permits of maintaining by substantially automatic means a constant and equable temperature inside the apparatus, so that much less care and attention are required on the part of the user. The connections of lever 70 with the thermostat, the valve-lever 66, and the weight 80 are also screw-threaded, so that adjustment of these parts may be effected to suit varying requirements. The overflow connection between tube 82 and the tank or reservoir 46 also effectually prevents the escape of liquid from the tube and affords an effective means for regulating the circulation ofwater through the coils 4i and 40. It will also be obvious from the above description that the improved incubator is capable of some modification without material departure from the principles and spirit of the invention, and for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise form and arrangement of the several parts herein set forth.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an incubator,the combination ofa casing having a hatching-chamber, a pipe for heating said chamber, a boiler connected with said pipe and provided with a heater, a tank and means controlled by variations in the temperature of the hatching-chamber for diverting the liquid flowing from the boiler to the pipe into said tank, substantially as set forth.

2. In an incubator,the combination of a casing having a hatching-chamber, a pipe for heating said chamber, a boiler having a .connection with said pipe, a tank adapted for communication with the connection between the boiler and said pipe, a valve controlling the flow of liquid from said connection to the tank and means controlled by variations in temperature in the hatching-chamber and arranged to actuate said valve, substantially as set forth.

3. In an incubator,the combination of a casing having a hatching-chamber, a pipe for heating the same, a boiler having a connection with said pipe and valve controlled means actuated from variations in tempera ture in the hatchin -chamber and arranged to divert the flow of liquid from the boiler IIO away from said pipe, substantially as set forth.

4:. In an incuhator,the combination ofa casing having a hatching-chamber, a pipe for heating the same, a boiler having a connection with said pipe, a valve-casing inserted in said connection, a tube connected with said Valve-casing, a valve controlling the flow of liquid through said tube from the valve-casing and means actuated from variations in temperature in the hatching-chamber and arranged to actuate said valve, substantially as set forth.

5. In an incubator,the combination ofa casing having a hatching-chamber, a pipe for heating the same, a boiler having a connection with said pipe, a valve-casing inserted in said connection, a tube open at its upper end and having its lower end connected with said valve-casing, a tank, a pipe connection leading from near the upper end of said tube into said tank, a valve controlling the flow of liquid through said tube from the valve-casing and means actuated from variations in temperature in the hatching-chamber and arranged to actuate said valve, substantially as set forth.

6. In an incubator, the combination of a casing having a hatching-chamber,a pipe for heating the same, a boiler having a connection with said pipe, a valve-casing inserted in said connection, a tube connected with said valveoasing and adapted to receive liquid diverted from said heating-pipe of the hatching-chamber, a valve controlling the flow of liquid through said tube from the valve-casing, a thermostat in the hatching-chamber, and a lever actuated from said thermostat and having a connection with said valve, substantially as set forth.

7. In an incubator, the combination ofa casing having a hatching-chamber and an airchamber provided with an air-outlet, a pipe for heating said air-chamber, a boiler outside the casing for supplying said pipe, valves controlling the escape of air at the air-outlet and also controlling the flow of liquid from the boiler to the heating-pipe,respectively, a thermostat in the hatching-chamber and means for actuating both of said valves from said thermostat, substantially as set forth.

8. ,In an incubator, the combination of a casing having a hatching-chamber, means for heating said chamber, and trays removably held in the hatching-chamber and having walls which fit flush against each other and against the upper and lower walls of the hatchingchamber, the said Walls of the trays being spaced away from an adjacent wall of the hatching-chamber to produce a dead-air space between the trays and said wall'of the hatchin g-chamber to prevent transmission of heat from the interior of the trays, substantially as set forth.

9. In an incubator, the combination of a easing having a hatching-chamber and an airchamber provided with anair-outlet, a pipe for heating said air-chamber, a boiler outside the casing for supplying said pipe, 21. valve controlling the escape of air at the air-outlet and a valve controlling the flow of liquid from the boiler to the heating-pipe, a thermostat in the hatching-chamber, a lever pivoted on the casing and having at one end connection with the thermostat, and connections between the other end of said lever and the respective valves, whereby both the valves are actuated from said thermostat, substantially as set forth.

10. In an incubator, the combination of a casing. having a hatching-chamber, a pipe for heating said chamber, a boiler connected with the pipe and provided with a heater, and means, controlled by variations in the temperature of the hatching-chamber, for controlling the supply of liquid from the boiler to said pipe for heatipg the hatchingchamber, substantially as set forth.

11. In an incubator, the combination of a casing having a hatching-chamber, a pipe for heating said chamber, a tank, a boiler with which said pipe and tank are respectively con nected, a heater for the boiler and means, controlled by variations in temperature in the hatching-chamber and arranged for controlling the connections between the boiler and the tank and heating-pipe, substantially as set forth.

12; In an incubator, the combination of a casing having a hatching-chamber, a pipe for heating said chamber, a boiler for supplying liquid to said pipe, a tank, means controlled by variations in temperature in the hatchingchamber and arranged for diverting the liq uid flowing from the boiler into said tank and a connection extended from the tank to the lower part of the boiler, substantially as set forth.

Signed at- Olney, Illinois, this 8th day of November, 1900.

GEORGE LEWIS HORRALL.

Witnesses:

WILL W. WHARF, ROBERT R. BYERS. 

